Sebastian, on the other hand, felt something he had never experienced before. His mind shook. His body refused to respond for a moment. Pain spread through his head like something had invaded it.
Then he slowly pushed himself up. His breathing was uneven, his mind struggling to process what had just occurred. He pressed his hand against the back of his head, trying to stabilize himself.
He staggered, held his head.
"Damn it…"
The door burst open.
A young female officer rushed in.
She moved quickly to Sebastian's side and helped him sit upright.
"Captain… you were thrown?..."
Her eyes found Zekai.
Surprise flickered—
then softened into something she didn't understand.
Sebastian exhaled slowly.
"I'm fine."
After a few seconds, he stood up after a moment, regaining control.
Then he looked at Zekai again.
This time—
not with calm.
But with interest.
"Oh… this is interesting," he said quietly.
"Iris. Bring the Grave Lens."
She nodded and left immediately.
Sebastian returned to his seat, but this time he didn't speak right away. He simply watched Zekai with new interest, as if trying to understand what he was.
Moments later, Iris returned carrying a small object. She placed it on the table in front of Zekai.
but her eyes lingered on Zekai for a moment longer than necessary.
Not fear.
Not hostility.
Something else.
Like she was trying to understand what he was.
It was a crystal sphere. Slightly cloudy, with faint darkness swirling inside it. A thin metallic frame held it in place, engraved with subtle markings. It looked lifeless—but something about it felt cold.
Zekai glanced at it, confused.
'What is this… a toy?'
"Put your hand on it," Sebastian said.
Zekai hesitated.
Suspicion rose immediately.
Everything so far had gone wrong.
"Why should I touch it? he asked. "What's the point?"
Sebastian raised his hand slightly. Dark energy formed again around his palm.
"You can see this, can't you? I know you can. You saw it when I sent it into you earlier. Am I right?"
Zekai nodded slowly.
"Good. Then listen carefully."
Sebastian leaned forward slightly.
"This is called Grave Energy."
Zekai's eyes shifted.
"—and you expect me to believe that explains anything?" he cut in.
Sebastian paused.
For a moment—
he actually considered the interruption.
Then—
"More precisely," he continued, "it's what we call Residual Absence—the pressure left behind when something is removed from reality."
Zekai's thoughts moved quickly.
"If something is removed… then what remains is…"
Zekai's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Null Pressure," he muttered.
Sebastian gave a small nod.
"Close enough."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"We don't fully understand its origin. This energy appears after certain phenomena—though no one fully understands how. It shows up in places where something goes wrong. Death. Fear. Collapse. Repetition."
Zekai listened carefully.
"It's not something humans created. It exists beyond them." Sebastian said.
But one question remained.
Zekai's thoughts shifted.
'If that's the case… then what is the energy inside me?'
Zekai's gaze stayed on the faint dark energy around Sebastian's hand.
For a moment, he hesitated.
'I didn't care about power before.
But now…
not having it meant losing people.'
Then he finally spoke.
"What decides who get that power?"
Sebastian didn't answer immediately.
Zekai continued, his voice low but steady.
"This… Grave Energy. How does someone attain it? And how does it work?"
Sebastian studied him for a second.
Then he leaned back slightly.
"You don't attain it," he said.
The faint darkness around his hand flickered—like something incomplete trying to take shape.
Zekai's eyes narrowed slightly.
"It's not something you train for. Not something you learn."
Sebastian lifted his hand again, letting the dark energy flicker faintly.
"It's either there from the beginning… or it never will be."
"…Meaning?"
"It chooses," Sebastian said calmly. "By birth… or by fate."
Zekai didn't interrupt.
"It's not a system you can unlock just by effort. Some are born with the capacity to perceive it. Others… come into contact with it through extreme circumstances."
His voice lowered slightly.
"And even then… most don't survive long enough to understand it."
Zekai's expression didn't change, but his thoughts shifted.
Sebastian continued.
"As for how it works… it's simple in theory."
He tapped the table lightly.
"It responds to imbalance. When something is removed from reality—something that shouldn't be removed—it leaves behind pressure."
"That pressure… is what we call Grave Energy."
Zekai processed it silently.
"So it's not power created by humans," he said.
"No," Sebastian replied. "It's something humans interact with… if they're capable."
He paused for a moment.
Then added—
"And most people aren't."
"So there's nothing to fear," Sebastian said.
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"But you…"
Sebastian glanced at the sphere.
"Let's see what's inside you."
That—was the real question.
Zekai's fingers twitched slightly.
Not from fear of the test.
What did Zero put inside me?
Zekai slowly stared at the sphere.
His eyes flickered.
For the first time since entering the room—
he considered something seriously.
If this place had rules…
Then those rules could be broken.
His fingers twitched slightly against the cuffs.
"I'll find a way."
A pause.
Then—
"I'll break them."
✦ End of Chapter 13 — No Escape ✦